Helping Family
by tessanoelle97
Summary: Tag to "Lives of Others" After Kate goes through a harrowing ordeal, she begins to withdraw from her team, even Castle. How will they all help her cope? *Team Fic* Trigger warning
1. Chapter 1

**(Loosely based on "The Lives of Others" However, in the story, Beckett and Castle were just chilling at home, they had no plans to go out. So in short, the "murder" was real.)**

It had been 10 minutes since Castle had seen the lights go out in the apartment across the way. As soon as the lights came off, he called Ryan and Esposito, and they came over as quick as they could.

"She's in the apartment!" Castle screamed as Esposito and Ryan ran into the building.

When they got to the door, Ryan knocked and knocked but there was no answer. So in true Ryan and Esposito style, they kicked down the door and flipped the lights on.

What of the three of them saw made their hearts stop. There was no sign of Beckett or Michael in the apartment. There was also a puddle of blood on the floor, right where Castle saw Beckett go down.

Castle screamed,

"Where is she?"

Ryan said,

"I don't know how he got out of here," he put a hand on Castle's shoulder, "We'll find her."

Esposito said,

"Let's check the security cameras, see if there is anything." Esposito pointed to an unnamed officer, and said,

"Officer, please take Castle back to the precinct."

Castle said,

"No, I'm staying here."

Ryan said,

"Castle, there's nothing you can do here. Espo and I will be back soon."

Castle finally agreed and left with the officer.

Esposito said,

"We need to find her."

"I know."


	2. Chapter 2

After Castle left, Esposito and Ryan went down to the security desk to see if there was any evidence of Kate on the surveillance tape.

Twenty minutes in, Ryan spotted something on the tape. He said,

"Stop."

He felt a sense of relief. He saw Kate being forced into a car by their suspect.

Esposito said,

"That's her."

Ryan said,

"I got the plate. Let's go back to the station, and see if we can find the car. If we find the car, maybe we can find Beckett."

With that, Ryan and Esposito left the building and went back to the precinct.

As soon as they walked in, Castle yelled,

"Do you have anything?"

Ryan said,

"We caught Kate and the suspect on the surveillance feed. The car sped off, but we got the plate."

Castle nodded in frustration. Ryan went over to his desk to run the plate. Five minutes later, he had a name. Ryan said,

"The car is registered to a Michael Grant, 29. He has a history of violence. His ex-girlfriend has a permanent restraining order on him."

Castle felt a pit form in his stomach.

Not a second later, Esposito's phone rang. Castle and Ryan were anticipating the end of the call. When he was done, he turned to Castle and Ryan. He said,

"We've got the car in the storage unit parking lot. Kate may be there. Let's go."

With that, Ryan and Esposito left. Castle sat at Kate's desk, praying for the phone call, telling him that she was okay.


	3. Chapter 3

_Kate POV:_

I woke up, on a cold hard floor. There's a painful sensation all around me. I look down and see that my shirt is practically ripped off, and that my jeans are soaked in blood, _my blood. _No, no, no, I think to myself. This can't be happening.

_General POV:_

Ryan and Esposito sat in silence as they drove to the warehouse where Kate might be.

Esposito was staring at the road, his face enamored with a stone cold expression. Ryan said,

"Do you think she's okay?"

"I don't know bro, but if he's not, and something happened to her, she has us. She has Castle."

They sat in silence for the rest of the ride.

When they got to the storage complex, there were many other police cars there, but it looked like no one had gone in yet.

Ryan and Esposito got out of the car, and walked over to the officer talking to the other ones.

Ryan said,

"Has anyone gone in yet?"

"No, your captain told us that you were the ones that should go in there."

Ryan said,

"Alright, we're going in, we'll radio for backup if we need it."

With that, Ryan and Esposito entered the complex, guns drawn.

* * *

Ryan and Esposito were walking down the hallway to the storage unit, slowly. When they got to the unit marked, 4812, both men's hearts started beating incredibly fast.

Esposito (with bolt cutters in his hands) said,

"I'll open it on 3. One, two, three..."

Esposito latched the bolt cutters onto the lock, and ripped it open. Then he lifted the door open.

The sight in the storage unit scared them both.

There was a bloody, bruised, and battered Kate Beckett sitting in the corner. She was screaming,

"Please, please don't hurt me."

Ryan whispered to Esposito,

"Go downstairs, tell medical I'll be there in a few minutes."

Esposito left.

Ryan began to slowly approach Beckett.

She kept saying,

"Please, please, don't hurt me."

Ryan knelt down in front of her and said,

"Katie, it's me, Ryan. I'm not going to hurt you."

She kept crying, and then she began to hyperventilate. Ryan noticed this, and he grabbed her hands.

"Katie, listen to me, you're alright. I'm here, your not alone. No one's going to hurt you ever again."

Kate again began to cry. This time, Ryan put his arms around her, picked her up, and brought her downstairs.

Kate clung to Ryan as he carried her to the ambulance.

When he put her down, the paramedic on duty tried to examine Kate, but she pulled away.

"Please..."

Ryan then knew what happened to Beckett, to Kate. Ryan said,

"Kate, just let him look at you, I'm right here."

He held her hand, and the paramedic began to look at her.

A minute later, Esposito said (softly),

"You take her to the hospital, stay with her. I'll let Castle know what's going on. I'll bring him by when she's ready."

He walked away.

Ryan held Kate's hand as they drove off to the hospital.

* * *

As soon as Castle saw Esposito enter the precinct, he quickly led himself over to him.

Castle said,

"Did you find her? Is she all right?"

Esposito said,

"She's alive, but it's bad."


End file.
